This invention relates generally to dock accessory arts and more particularly to extruded plank structures for docks and the like.
Boating is considered by many to be the number one outdoor recreational activity in the United States today. More people than ever are enjoying recreational boating activities ranging from canoeing to yachting. The increase in the number of boats on America's waterways has likewise increased the need for the number of slips, piers and docks at which to moor these watercraft.
Docks are generally constructed in either a fixed dock or a floating dock arrangement. A fixed dock is comprised of pilings or piers which are driven into the floor of a body of water; stringers are secured to these pilings and planks are appropriately attached to the stringers. The floating dock is essentially comprised of a deck surface which floats on buoyancy material secured underneath the deck surface. In the floating dock configuration, a series of floating deck sections are often attached to one another to create a larger or longer floating surface.
Typically, docks are constructed with a decking surface of wood or metal planking fastened to an underlying structural frame. While wood and metal planking is commonly used as decking materials, mainly because of a lack of alternatives, there are many problems associated with these materials. Wood planking tends to warp, splinter and rot; problems which are inherent in wood and accelerated in a harsh marine environment. Likewise, extruded metal planking, most commonly aluminum, tends to corrode in a humid marine environment and becomes extremely hot when in the sun. From the above problems it is clear that both materials have generally poor weatherability characteristics.
Attempts at overcoming the above problems produced weather resistant plastic planking. Prior art plastic planks had another problems in that plastic has a low coefficient of friction and therefore the planks were very slippery. Treads and water draining grooves formed into the surface of the plank to reduce the slippery characteristics of the plank were not successful since the plank material itself had a low coefficient of friction.
Finally, non-slip materials were attached to the plank but the adhesive non-slip materials tended to peel off over time and those which were mechanically fastened to the planks required additional parts and labor and generally had exposed fasteners.